Wrench



0.'M. WHITE AND W. C. McCULLOUGH.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. II, I920.

1,422,402. Patented July II, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES I/VI E/V 70/? I Wi'lzz'am 67165 667 McCullough,

ATTORNEYS 0. M. WHITE AND w. c. McCULLOUGH.

. WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. U, 1920.

1,422,402, Patented July 11, 1922..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I'Vl/[/ETOR Z'ZZZEWM Chester MaCu aug W O/rey M White Arm/mus UNWE w s is, a

l. nl l li l hltilho OKEY III. 'W'EITE AND VTILLIAlF/l llZoU'ULLOUGI-I, O1 IvIU-EJKOGEE, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TU ALEXANDER IISCATHEYJ'S, 333 lvI'U L-liiCOGEE, OKLAHQIVIA.

WRENCH.

I Application filed December 11, 15510.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GREY M. lVl-iirn and WILLniM. CHESTER MoCULLoUeH, citizens or the United States, residents leiuskogee, in the county of Muskogee and State of Oklahome, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is an improvement in wrenches, and has for its object to provide a wrench especially adapted for removing bits from drill stems, wherein a bit engaging portion is provided, and an operating means for rotating the same in the form of an annulus having a hinged section for permitting the entrance of the stem to the bit engaging portion and separated from the said bit engaging portion by a ball bearing upon which the said portion moves.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved wrench,

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is aplan view with the handle and cover plate removed and with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a plan view with parts in section showing the hinged section,

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 3. i

In the present embodiment of the invention the improved. wrench comprises a circular plate or disk 1 having a diametrically extending notch or recess 2 of a width to receive the bit shank, and to preventturning of the shank with respect to the disk, so that when the disk is turned the bit will also be turned. This disk rests upon a ring 8, being supported from the ring by means of a ball bearing to be presently described, and the ring 3 is a split ring having between its ends an opening or gap adapted to register with the diametrical opening of the disk to 7 receive the bit. This opening or gap may be closed by means of a gate 4. This gate has one or more hinge lugs 5, which are received in notches or recesses 6 in the ring at one end of the split and a pintle pin 7 pivotally connects the lugs to the ring. A bolt 8 is mounted to slide in an opening at the opposite end of the gate from the lugs 5, and this bolt is adapted to engage an opening in the Specification of Letters Patent.

l fatented July ii, 1922.

Serial .i'lo. 4539,9121.

other end oi the split, for holding the gate in place.

The bolt is moved by means of a fingerp iece 9. The ring 3 is journaled between the disk 1 and the disk 10 of greater diameter than the disk 1.. This disk 10 is annularly recessed or rabbeted to receive the ring 3, as clearly shown in Figure 2, and the ring is thus held between the disk 1 and the disk 10. Th disk 10 has a diametrically extending notch ll of the same size as the notch 2 of the disk l, and registering therewith, and the two disks are connected together by screws 12 or the like which connect the disks inside the ring.

The ring 3 has a ball race in its upper face, the said race being in the form of a pair of annular grooves 13 and 14, spaced apart from each other and parallel. One of the grooves, namely the groove 13, is of greater depth than the groove 14, and of a depth to entirely receive the balls, so that they will be below the level of the upper face of the ring. The groove 14, is of such depth that the balls will be extended above the upper face of the ring, and above a housing plate or ring 16 which is secured to the upper face of the ring 3. This housing plate is of annular formation, and has an arc-shaped groove 17 registering with the groove 14:, but of less width, so that while the balls may extend above the surface of the housing ring 16, they cannot escape from the ring. The ends lot the grooves 13 and 14- are connected by inclined passages 18, and the balls may pass from one groove to the other by means of these passages.

A. handle in the form ol an arc comprising a body 19 and arms 20 is connected with the bit engaging element, that is the disks 1 and 10, the said arms being connected in any suitable manner, for instance by the screws The arms 20 are shaped to it about the rin .3 shown in Figure 1.

In operation. the wrench is placed by swinging open the and placing the wrench about the hit. Now by meansof the handle. the wrench is turned. The weight ot' the bit supported by the balls. i. that the rin l rests on ,orr. the balls travel with the bit enm ging element they move along one groove and by the inclined passages at the ends to the other.

We claim:

1. A wrench of the character specified, comprising a bit engaging element, and a ring in which the said element is journaled,

the ring having a hinged portion adaptedto swing upwardly to permit the insertion of the bit into the bit engaging element through the ring, and means for locking said hinged portion H1 closed position, and a ball bearing arranged between the bit engaging element and the ring, said bearing comprising arc-shaped grooves in the ring, one of said grooves being 01 a depth to entirely receive the balls of the bearing, and the other being of a depth to extend the balls into engagement with the bit engaging element, said grooves being connected at their ends by inclined passages, said grooves extending from one end of the gate opening to the other the inclined passages being at the opposite sides of the gate opening.

2. A wrench of the character specified comprising a bit engaging element and a ring in which said element is journaled, the ring having a gap, and a hinged portion adapted to swing upwardly with respect to the gap to permit the insertion of a bit into a bit engaging element through the gap of the ring, means for locking said hinged portion in closed position, and a ball bearing assembly arranged between the bit engaging element and the ring, said ball hearing assembly including arcuate raceways at each side of the gap. i

3. A wrench of the character specified comprising a bit engaging element, and a ring in which said element is swiveled, said ring having a split or gap, a gate hinged at end in said gap and adapted to swing upwardly to permit the insertion of the bitinto the bitengaging element through said gap, and antifriction means between the bit engaging element and the split ring, said antitt'riction means including parallel areuate grooves in the upper it'aceot the ring said grooves beginning at each side of the gap and communicating with each other by a curved passage at such beginning points.

OKEY M. WHITE. WILLIAM caas'rrr 'MCCULLOUGH. 

